Mail catcher and crane.



J. HIGKE.

J MAIL GATCHER AND CRANE. APPLIOA'TION FILED MAR. 24, 1911.

1,001,954. Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

. B y I -%%%bmeys UNITED STATES agans: orrron.

- JOHN HICKE, OFyPHILADELPHJAi rENNsrLvANIA.

MAIL CATCI-IEIB, AND CRANE;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Pateilted Aug, 29, 1911 Application filed March 24, 1911. Serial No. 616,647. a

' To all whom it may concern:

I, JOHN HTCKE, a sub- Hungary, and a reel- Be it known that jectof the King of dent .of the United- States, residing at- Philadelphia, in t-he county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have in art to which 'it'appertains to make and use the same.

This. invention relates to mail. catchers and cranes and has for an object to. provide a catcher which may be positioned between the tracks and set to cooperate with the "off crane carried upon a car traveling 'in either direction.

Anotherobject is to provlde a crane adapt-- ed tov be carried upon the car to co-act with the catcher projecting from a post or other suitable support between the tracks.

A further object is to provide a crane tobe carried by a car, saidcrane to be of such form and secured in such manner that it may be locked in position tocotiperat'e with the catcher or may be swung into the car and locked in this latter position.

A further object is to provide a catcher and crane adapted to co-act with each other, said crane adapted'to'collectthe mail bag the catcher and. at the same time deliver another mail bag from the car onto said catcher, and,

A still further 'object is to provide a catcher and crane of the above stated character which may also-be provided with mechanism to hold the catcher in proper position during the snatching of the bag therefrom and the delivering of another bag thereto and also means for automatically releasing said catcher after the completion of the above described operation to allow the catcher tofdrop intoinoperative position.

Other objects and advantages will be here inafter setforth' and pointed out in the specification. a 1

In the accompanying drawings which are made a part ofthis-application, Figure 1 is a-top plan view of'the catcher and crane in operative position, just before the crane reaches its position opposite the catcher; Fig. 2 is a side elevation. of the catcher and crane as the crane is opposite the catcher,

and, Fig. 3 is a detail plan View showing the preferred 'form of hooks used In connection with the catcher and crane.

Referring to the drawings in which similar reference characters represent corresponding parts throughout the several views, .1 represents a post, upon which the catcher is secured near the upper end thereof. Upon the upper. end of the post 1 is rotatably secured .the ring 2 having the'pro-jection 3 from which extends a downwardly directed arm 4; having the outwardly and'upwardly curved finger 5 integral therewith and projecting from .the lower endthereof. The ring 2 is locked in position by means of the locking-pin 6 carriedby the spring 7 secured to thepost'1.

said arms being slotted-inwardly. as shown Pivotally connected to the vertical arm 4 at 11, said slots terminating in the-circular enlarged portions 12. The upper'faces of the arms 10 are depressed, as shown at 13, around the circular apertures 12, the purpose .of which will later ap ear.

Carried upon the plate 9 is the upwardly extending pin 14, havingloosely mounted near its upper end the .V-shaped arm 15, {against the under face of the shortpgrtion press the upperof which is adapted to end of the curved finger 5. which extends through the opening 16 within the plate 9. By means of this arrangement the hinged plate -9 is held in extended position on a plane with the extension 3. The reversed position of-the catcher is illustrated in 'Figgl by dotted lines.

. Secured to the inside ofthe framework 17 of the car by means ofbolts or othersecuring means 18, is the bracket 19 extending toward the opposite side of the car. Integral with the upper portion of the bracket 19 is the semicircular latch-plate 20, the purpose of which will later appear, The latch-plate 20 extends in a horizontal direction from the bracket and is provided along its edge with the'latch openings 21, adapted to receive the latch or locking-pin 22. The upper end of the'bracket 19 isin circular form having the reducedrounded upper portion 23, through which extends the passage 24 communicating with-the large opening 25. Within the large opening 25 is positioned the head of the 'bolt26. which extends through the passage 24 and through a similarpassage with- 1 in the rounded portion of the crane.

f centrally forming the fingers'29 and 30.

is positioned at the center of the crane and extending outwardly in one direction is the portion 28, the extremity of which is split The-finger29 is curved upwardlyand then horizontally, while the arm 3O is curved downwardly and then horizontally. The

- arms 29 and 30 are then directed outwardly at right angles to their horizontal portions and slotted inwardly, as shown at 31. The

'inner ends of the slots are enlarged and in circular form,as shown at, 31, The outer ends of the slots widen gradually from a short" distance of said outer ends, forming the rounded guides 32 for said slots, the purpose of whic will'be later described. The enlarged .inneiendsof the slots 31 and the portion immediately surrounding said rounded openings, are depressed as shown at.

32 in a manner similar to the-inner ends of the-slots 11. The slots '31 are adapted'to be thereto a cord or cable 36 connected with one extended positionj brought directly over the slots 11, at times.-

Extending from the portion 27 ata slight angle to the portion'28, is the handle carrying portion 33 having a handle 34 upon its free reduced end. Pivotally connected to the handle carrying portion 33 adjacent the handle 34, is 'the lever 35 having secured end of the latch 22, which isslidably securedwithin the lug 37 carried bythe portion 33. The latch 22 isada'pted to be engaged in the notch 21, as previously described, and may be, if desired, resiliently held in such engagement by a suitable spring, as'will be clearly understood.

' As the crane is swun upon 26 it may be swung wit in the car, as shown in dotted'line's in Fig. 1, when not in use and the lever 35 released from against the handle 34 to allow the latch 22, by the action, of] its spring, to. be engaged within the. proper notch 21 to'lock'the crane in this position. When it is desired to use the crane in connection with the catchers along the track, the lever 35 is pressed against the handle 34 to withdraw the latch 22 from the notch 21 and the crane'is then swung upon its pivot until the portion 28 extends through the car door, or, other opening, at about right angles. The lever'35 is then released and the latch 22 engages within the directly opp'osite notch 21"to lock the crane securely in Carried u on the outward corner of the slotted -portion of the finger 29 is the releasingpin 38, which is adapted to engage against the arm 15, after the operation of collecting the mail bag. from the catcher" and depositing a new one thereon, to release the pivot-pin the catcher ,by sliding the f finger 15 from upon the upper end of the curved, arm 5,

after" which the horizontal portion of the catcher will swing downwardlyupon its hinge 8 and thus' eliminate all possibility of the catcher,being engaged 'by a second train before it can be fully set for suchen- A gageme'nt.

In us ng crane, "the catcher -is secured to the post 1 between the tracks, as previously described. The bag to be caught by the train the above described catcher andcarrying the crane is placed upon the hook 39 shown in Fig. 3, or similar suspending member'and the hook placed within the slot 11 so that the rounded head thereof rests within the depressed circular portion 13,

the bag hanging upon the lower end-ofsaid securing member 39.- Within the slotted portion of. the arm 30of the'crane carried -by the approaching car, is suspended ina similar manner by a like hook 39, the bag to be deposited'upon' the catcher." As the caris passing the catcher and as the crane assumes a position directly oppos1te the as p catcher, the arm 30, which travels, below the arms of the catcher,icomes to a position directly beneath the arm carrying the .bag to becollected'by the crane. The slot 31- being directly below the slot 11 the arm 30 engages the hook 39 and draws it out of the slot 11, the head. of said hook dropping into the depressed circular portion 32 of said slot 31. At the same time, the arm 29, in passing over the other, arm of the catcher,'-is forced to give up the bag suspended therefrom on account I of the hook 39 from. which the bag is'suspended being caught within the slot 11 of "the arm beneath the arm 29. As the arm 30 draws the hook 39 from within the recess or depression 13 and out of the slot 11 of the catcher, within which said hook was resting, the opposite arm of the catcherjdraws the hook. from within the arm 29 of the crane and as the car carrying the crane moves on the head of the hook 39 drawn from within the arm 29, drops into the circular depressed portion 13 of the rear arm. 10 of the catcher with the bag from the car suspended there-4 on. After, the operation of collecting anddepositingthe bags is completed, the'releasing pin 38 engages against the arm 15,

swinglngthe latter upon its pivot-pin 14,

thus forcing it from on-the curved arm 5,

allowing the hingedextension 9 to swing .upon its hinge to"a; position practically arallel with the post 1. The weight of the ag deposited within the rear arm"10 pf the catcher, assists the latter in its downward movement. After the car has passed the catcher'and left the'proper bag uponsaid catcher and collected the onetherefrom, the crane may be swung within the car by pressing the latch 35 against the handle 34 fingers of the crane Within the car, after which the ha may be taken from upon the arm and the bag to be-l delivered to the next catcher suspended on the arm 29 of the'crane. As the train approaches the next catcher the crane may be swung to the position previously described and locked in this position to co-actwith the nextcatcher in a manner similar tothatdescribed in connection with the first catcher. Th'e'catchermay be swung .from a moving car,

to the opposite side of theipost 1 for coaction with cranes carried upon trains mov-. ing on this track. The catcher is locked in this position (which position is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1-, as previously stated) between the spring 7 and locking-pin 6-in the same manner as that. in which the said'- catcher was locked in position-upon the first side of the postl.

It will be readily "seen that I have provided a catcher and crane which will be positive and accurate in operation and which will efl'ectively co-act to depositand collect mail bags while trains are traveling at high speed as well as when running at low ,speed. It will also be seen that as all of the parts of both the catcher and crane are of simple formation they will be cheap to manufacture-and, should any part become worn or broken it may easily be replaced by a new one at a very small cost.

What I claim is:

1.- A mail appliance comprising appara. tus for supporting a mail bag between tracks, .means for suspending mail bags said supporting means comprising oppositely extending; slotted ried by the passing car, g .means being adapted to snatch the bag held by said supporting means of two subscribing witnesses.

members, one of said slotted members being adapted to support a hook carrying a mail ba the other arm being vadapted to receive and retain a hook carrying a bag to be snatched from the suspending means carsaid suspending and at the same time deposit its bag and hook in the receiving and, retaining arm of said supporting means, said suspending means carried by the car being adapted to engage againstja portion of said supporting means and cause the latter to drop withthe new bag thereon, and means for locking said suspending means in position to co-act with said supporting means.

2. A catcher adapted 'to be positioned upon a support between tracks, means for securing said catcher in position toward either track, means for locking said catcher in either position, in combination with a crane carried by the car for co action with said catcher, said crane being adapted to be positioned for cooperation with said catcher,

,means for locking said crane in said position, said crane being adapted to'be swung out of engaging positlon and locked in disengaging position within the car, means for setting 'said catcher for cooperation with said crane, and means carried by said crane to release said catcher: from its set position after cooperation with said catcher to collect'mail bags therefrom and deliver mail bags theretoto allow the catcher to swing to inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I have si-gned my name to this specification in JOHN HIOKE.

Witnesses: ISRAEL SCHNELL, H. Mt'iHLsoHLncnL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five, cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G.

the presence 

